The 60's

Ontario Drive & Gear Limited (ODG) was founded in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1962. As the subsidiary of a German company, its objective was to design and manufacture power transmission and gears for the North American market. ODG developed and manufactured a special transmission for a 6-wheel-drive, skid steer ATV - the Amphicat.

In 1967 the Argo was born! Realising the potential of the ATV market, ODG decided to introduce its own 6-wheel amphibious vehicle - the Argo. It was named for its stamina on land and water after the Argonaut of Greek mythology.

In 1969 the Kitchener facility could no longer handle the volume required so ODG purchased a 10 acre site in New Hamburg and began construction.

The 70's

In 1971 ODG introduced a stretched version of the Argo - the 8-wheeler. With this introduction, ODG was able to offer a vehicle with the largest cargo capacity on the market. The first 8-wheeler was powered by a 440 cc Kohler 2-cylce engine.

Also in 1971, ODG installed a state-of-the-art vacuum-forming machine, which made it possible for us to produce large quantities of vehicle bodies from coloured ABS sheet material.

Constantly looking for ways to upgrade the Argo, ODG decided to switch to the very durable, high density polyethylene material for the vehicle bodies and introduced vehicles powered by a Tecumseh 4-cycle engine in 1975. With the introduction of the 4-cycle Argo, ODG's market gradually expanded from the recreational sector into the utility and industrial/commercial sector.

The 80's

1981 saw the introduction of the first Argo 8 I/C (Industrial/Commercial) with hydraulic steering brakes. This model rapidly captured 60% of the market share.

The Argo 6 Twin was introduced in 1985. Powered by the Briggs & Stratton, 656 cc twin cylinder I/C engine, the 6 Twin replaced the Argo 6 Heavy Duty. Following the success of this model, ODG introduced the Argo 8 Twin as a smooth running successor to the Argo 8 Heavy Duty.

The extensive redesign of the Argo 8 I/C in 1987 made this vehicle the most popular model in the Argo line-up.

1989 saw the end of a fifteen-year run as the last Tecumseh powered vehicle came off the assembly line. But with the end of that era, a new one began. In 1989 ODG introduced the Argo 8x8 Magnum and the Argo 6x6 Magnum. The Argo 8x8 Magnum name was adopted to identify the top-of-the-line model that now featured new clutch components and a transmission ratio to respond to customer requests for higher land speed. The Argo 6x6 Magnum followed with similar upgrades.

The 90's

In 1992, ODG celebrated 25 years of Argo production. To commemorate Argo's silver anniversary, 25 silver-bodied Vanguards were built.

ODG introduced the first liquid-cooled engine in the new Argo Conquest in 1993. The Kawasaki FD620D 20 hp V-twin engine captured the attention of the marketplace like nothing before and immediately propelled this model to prominence. Long lead times developed as demand far exceeded production rates that were pushed up weekly.

The Argo 8x8 Response was introduced to the market in 1995 - the answer for the individual who needed eight-wheel capacity at an attractive price.

Once again, ODG demonstrated its commitment to the customer by providing quality-built, innovative products. The Bigfoot invaded the market in 1997, with an extended wheelbase to accommodate the 25" tires, increasing ride comfort over rough terrain.

In 1998 the latest and most expensive in a series of high-tech CNC machines, a LIEBHERR gear hobber, was installed at ODG's premises to produce the precision cut gears and other quality components demanded by ARGO and industrial products customers.

In a bold move, ODG decided to add 40,000 square feet of new manufacturing and office space to its plant in New Hamburg. The continued expansion of the Argo market and the imminent introduction of a new model of industrial all-terrain vehicles made this decision necessary. At year-end, the site work was done and construction was set to commence in the spring of 2000.

2000

2001

June 8, 2001 marked the Grand Opening of ODG's brand new 40,000 sq.ft. manufacturing and administrative facility in New Hamburg. The fully air conditioned building sports the latest gear hobbing technology and allows ODG to align its core businesses in two new divisions: the Vehicle Division and the Gear Division. For ODG, this move signals a strong commitment to continued growth. For the customer, this means top-of-the-line products and service for the new millennium.

Always listening to what the customer needs and wants, ODG introduced a new model in 2001, along with a new colour choice. The first camouflage 6x6 Conquest came off the line in fall of 2001.

2001 also marked the end of an era with the retirement of ODG’s V-P of Sales and Marketing, Bob Archer. Bob was with ODG for 28 years.

2002

To celebrate the Argo’s 35th Anniversary, ODG offered the “Signature Edition” Conquest 8x8 – a rugged vehicle loaded with all the extras, including: [this is standard!], black body, alternator, brush guard, handrail kit, and much more.

Congratulations to ODG’s Gear Division who’s Quality Management System was certified to comply with the ISO 9001-2000 standard in June 2002.

2003

The Gear Division was busy updating and adding equipment in 2003 by installing a new Mazak CNC Machining Center, a third Liebherr 385 CNC Gear Hobber and a Klingelnberg CNC Gear Checker. These machines will enable us to keep at the forefront of gear manufacturing and quality control.

This year the Vehicle Division introduced Lean Manufacturing into the plant, resulting in big changes and quite a few challenges. But through Lean we were able to put the customer first and produce custom vehicles with ease.

2004

Live the Outdoor Dream. Early in 2004, ODG was very proud to launch the ultimate dream machine: The Argo 8x8 Avenger. The Avenger, which was completely redesigned from the ground up, combines comfort and ruggedness with innovative features. Sales of this new model quickly exceeded all expectations, booking production for months in advance.

2005

In 2005, ODG becomes the exclusive distributor for KTR Couplings in Canada and sales continue to increase. The Gear Division secured a new large contract laying the foundation for more diversification and new markets. Special projects within the Vehicle Division include railroad disaster support, autonomous vehicles and many other exciting applications around the world. ODG continues to invest in future growth with $1.1M in new machinery this year alone.

2006

ODG launched the new 6x6 Frontier and an Avenger EFI at the Distributor Conference in August, 2006 to much acclaim and increased orders. In addition, new marketing tools have been developed to support sales of the complete vehicle range. This was ODG’s best sales year ever with both the Vehicle and Gear Divisions exceeding all previous records.

2007

2008

ODG is invited to participate in a Lunar Rover research project with the Canadian Space Agency and other partners.  The Argo is world renowned for its versatility and capability of traversing difficult terrains but now comes the challenge of our lives, to help make a vehicle capable of withstanding the conditions on the moon!  This is a long term project with many hurdles to overcome on the journey to the moon but there should be some great discoveries along the way which will ultimately improve the vehicles we build.